Shield Wizard
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: A hero was NOT what he wanted to be after being turned into the Magical society's clean up wizard. He was far too jaded to be one anymore. So when he gets summoned to save yet another world from destruction, needless to say he wasn't pleased one bit. He knows where a hero's path leads, and he wants no part of it. Too bad they aren't giving him much of a choice.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is a Tate no Yuusa no Nariagari/HP crossover. It's also called Rise of the Shield Hero, I think._**

* * *

Sometimes it didn't pay to be him.

He had woken up that morning feeling like crap, and now he was in another world where he was expected to save people because (and he really loathed this word) he was a _hero_.

Heroes, in his opinion, were only for people to idolize. There was nothing the public loved more than to watch a good man fall from grace.

He had even found a book that had nothing to do with learning something.

And that's when it all went sour. With that damn book.

He had been prepared for another attempt at leaving. All his money in his expanding bag, in one of the smaller pockets where no one would think to look. In the main bag were several useful notebooks in his own handwriting filled with spells and the 'intended' effects. He also had a myriad of various nicknacks, pranks from before the death of Fred and George (as the unspoken third owner, he had the entire lot of their products dumped on him because none of the others had been inclined to keep the store open), and roughly a year's worth of food he could quickly make without actually having to cook.

There was also three magical tents and outdoor items like ward stones, so if he had to he could survive in the wild on his own.

He had one thing not even Hermione had, for all her brilliance.

Survival skills for less than civilized places. And she had wondered why he had never complained once while on the mess of a hunt for the fragments. Ron had never stopped whining.

So the idea of ending up in a new world with everything he would have taken with him had never actually occurred to him until it happened.

"Heroes! Please save our world!"

What.

He looked at his wrist, where the holster once was and found a shield. Good thing that was just his spare wand, and not anything of any real consequence.

He looked behind to see three others. Each with a different weapon. A spear, a bow, and a sword. The spear gave him a bad feeling, and the way he was smirking at him spoke volumes.

Just because he stopped aging when he took those up didn't mean he cared. A few glamour spells to make him look older (and nothing like himself) and he could do anything he wanted.

Except leave. That was one thing he could never do, because someone always forced him to come back and clean up after whatever mess was made. After the second time he demanded coin up-front so he could enjoy his brief vacation.

He barely paid any real attention, at least until he noticed they were all given companions...except for him. Something about how shields weren't much a weapon.

He shrugged, and just started walking out the first door he could find that lead to the castle's support shops.

"Wait! Shield Hero-sama!"

"If you're trying to join my team, forget it. I work better alone and I certainly don't trust people," he said bluntly. The girl had this look in her eyes he was far too familiar with. She was planning something.

"Please wait, Shield Hero-sama. It's such a shame that someone as young as yourself is the only one that no one wanted as your partner," she said with a bright smile that looked fake from the start.

The king had pitied him before he left, giving him a nice heavy bag of silver coins. He had dumped them into his bag, then summoned a bunch of fakes that wouldn't fool the goblins for a minute. It was standard practice for him to replace any coin he received with almost perfect doubles in the event they tried to steal it back later.

The fakes would revert to their base form of wooden coins withing a couple hours outside his hands. He did pride himself on never having used fakes to pay for anything.

He eventually found the magic shop, and after a minor test walked out with several new books...and for some reason, the ability to read them. Probably his magic correcting his inability to read their language. After a certain point it just started doing things to benefit him in the long run, like learning how to speak a new language overnight without any previous knowledge.

The woman from earlier kept following him, trying to draw him into conversation. He just kept ignoring her, despite several discreet attempts to show off her bust.

Finally he had enough and ditched her entirely. He had seen an odd alley on the way out that gave him the same vibe as Knockturn, which meant it was something most decent folk wouldn't go into.

Silent apparition. What a useful skill, especially when someone was getting on your nerves. Idiot was probably still looking for him.

"Well, well. I never expected one of the Heroes to grace my tent so quickly after being summoned..."

One look at the tent said all he needed to know about the wares.

"You sell people, don't you."

"Indeed my Lord, I sell demi-humans as slaves. What would interest you?" he asked with a smile. It wasn't a pleasant one, but it was perfect to keep people at ease.

"Let me be the judge of that. If I must be forced to deal with a companion, then I would prefer one that isn't a back-stabbing bitch like the idiot who keeps trying to follow me around," he said completely flat.

He looked around, but it wasn't until he heard a pained cough that he found what he was looking for. All the others had given up hope.

"I'll take this little one. Now, about those pets you mentioned?"

"This way, Hero-sama," said the shady dealer. He was seriously considering giving this kid a discount, because unlike the other naïve fools he felt like he understood how the world actually worked.

So long as his coin was good, he could care less who this kid was.

He picked up a monster incubator, but when the dealer went to apply the markings, he was stopped.

"No markings. If there are this many varieties of demi-humans, then there must also be a place that they live away from the king, correct?"

"Indeed my Lord, you are very wise."

"Then having her marked would only bring me a headache if her kind found out, no matter how well I treated her. Better to earn loyalty first than to deal with that mess."

"As you wish, Hero-sama. Now, about the price..."

"Will this be sufficient? You may keep any coins left over if you like," he asked, dropping five gold coins into the man's hand.

"Indeed, Hero-sama. And may I say it's refreshing for someone so blunt to grace my tent?"

He smirked. Now he had a loyal companion. One he might actually trust because she wasn't fully human.

Once they were heading to the shop that sold armor and weapons, he asked "What's your name little one?"

"R...Raphtalia, my lord."

"Talia, then. So long as you never betray me, I will always keep you. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir."

"That being said, we are going to get you properly fitted so that you can stand on your own while we hunt for monsters."

"Y...yes sir..." she said nervously.

"I won't let anything happen to you. You clearly have something in your past that's traumatized you about hunting, but you can tell me about it once you've gotten more used to me. Fair warning though, I'm not a morning person. If I seem scary after waking up, that's why."

"Yes sir," she said in a dead tone.

He paused and put his hand on her head.

"Don't misunderstand little one. I didn't pay for you because I desire a slave. I just wanted someone that didn't already have motives against me. If anyone gives you trouble, just leave them to me, alright?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good girl. Now let's get some proper clothes for you."

The owner looked at him oddly.

"I want the girl properly outfitted, and please, make sure the clothes are _useful_ and not some flashy piece of junk. I would rather look like a vagabond but have plenty of defensive power than look like a noble with no sense of taste and even less ability to survive attack."

The man snorted.

"I like you kid. You have a better head on your shoulders than the other three idiots, especially that spear one."

"He did look like a moron, didn't he?" he agreed. "Anyway since I highly doubt these 'Legendary' weapons will allow their owners to use others, just get her outfitted for now."

"If I may, why did you get a slave so soon after being summoned?"

"That idiot following me around trying to get my attention clearly has ulterior motives. If I have to have a companion, then I want a blank slate that isn't out to get me just because I'm supposedly the 'weakest' of the heroes. And if the looks the king was giving me were any indication, the least liked as well," he stated simply.

"Can't blame you for that logic kid."

* * *

"That's it Talia! You've gotten the hang of it now!"

The tiny raccoon girl was fighting her very hardest. After the first slip-up from old memories, they had taken to a small field filled with weak monsters for her to practice on. Thanks to the party system, they both got experience.

By the time night fell, Talia was level 12.

"Master, are we going to sleep out in the open?" asked Talia.

"No. We're heading straight to the next town, because I have the feeling if we go anywhere near the town something troublesome will happen."

"Troublesome?"

"That annoying woman who refused to leave me alone. I have the feeling she'll try something if I'm seen publicly as part of her party. So we're going to avoid her until she's found someone else to hook her claws into," he stated.

"But Master, the next town is a day's ride away," said Talia.

"Either way we need to put as much distance between us and that woman."

He bent down so Raphtalia could climb on his back.

"Master?"

"If you ride on my shoulders then we can cover more ground."

Talia had a strange expression on her face. Still, she clammered onto his back.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

She nodded and held on firmly.

"Here we go then. Speed Boost!"

Without much warning at all, they were gone, missing the girl who wanted to try and ruin the Shield Hero's reputation with false claims and rob him. He didn't know her name, and frankly he felt she wasn't worthy of him knowing her name.

He certainly hadn't deigned to share his.

* * *

He awoke one morning two days after reaching the next town first and when he went to breakfast he knew his day was about to turn shitty. Good thing he made it look like they had hitched a ride to the next town, because it made things easier.

That stupid woman was claiming the 'Shield Hero' had raped her, despite the fact he clearly kept trying to ditch her the day before. There was also the fact that he had ditched her and gone to the first town he could find away from the castle.

Good thing he had disguised the shield on his arm and his features.

"How dreadful," said the innkeeper. She was a nice woman, but it was pretty clear that people had a bad opinion of the Shield Hero.

"From the way I saw it, it's more likely the girl is getting back at the Shield Hero dumped her the first chance he got. She kept trying to entice the guy by pushing up her bust, but he ditched her for a demi-human instead."

"Really?" said the innkeeper. She was always up for good gossip and this sounded like gold.

Just then Raphtalia came down the stairs, still sleepy eyed. She pouted at him, which got him to grin back.

"You didn't wake me up."

"Well you were so adorable I thought I'd let you sleep in. Sleeping will help that cough of yours go away faster, since it conserves energy," he said amused. He ruffled her hair gently.

"Your sister?" she asked.

"My ward. I found her when some jerk was trying to sell her as a fake demi-human slave because she likes to wear animal ears, and now she follows me until we find her family," he lied smoothly.

He reached into his bag to pull out a headband, while discreetly removing the spell over her ears and making it look like he had just put a fake pair on her.

"So cute! I can see why they mistook her for a demi-human," said the innkeeper gushing. Raphtalia looked at him oddly and he whispered what was really going on while the innkeeper wasn't looking. She nodded and played along...for now.

Raphtalia quickly saw the advantages of people thinking she was just wearing an unusual headband. They treated her like a normal human.

While her Master was around town, he spread the word that the rape charge was the woman's way of getting back for being dumped for a demi-human so openly. Because the other heros hadn't made it out this far yet, it meant he could do irreperable damage before they properly got started.

The Spear Hero, for one, was going to get a rather unfriendly reception when he got here. Thanks to her master, the entire village knew that he had cheated on his two girlfriends and he was more interested in sleeping around than fighting.

The Sword Hero was nice, but inexperienced in fighting, and the Bow Hero was sneaky, but still a good person.

Counter rumors were a devious way of dealing with false charges. And since they didn't know he wasn't in the capital, they would never know what he had done until they finally got off their bums and walked.

And since he had no intention of going back to the capital until Talia had gotten stronger, the two left the village a few days later.

Though not before she finally learned her "brother's" name.

Crow was such a nice person! And so powerful, to cast spells like it was nothing and with only a few words instead of the full incantation.

For the next week Talia learned how to fight properly, before the guards _finally_ caught up to her master.

By that time the girl who claimed he had raped her was already paired up with the Spear hero's group. The thing was that no one could say where the new rumors that she had done it because he dumped her for a demi-human started.

Needless to say she was pissed because it was technically true, seeing as how he had been openly traveling with a raccoon demi-human and had openly spurned her while she tried to seduce him. It was like a slap to the face the way he almost openly said that she wasn't good enough for him. The fact he reached town in a _reasonable_ time frame without her in his party didn't help her case either.

Either way he was to return to the capital to face charges.

Too bad for the girl, he actually had an alibi. He wasn't anywhere near her the night she claimed he assaulted her, which meant that two of the three other Heroes were rather skeptical about her claim. The Sword hero in particular was wondering what if she had tried the same thing with _him_ and not the Shield Hero.

* * *

"Shield Hero, you stand accused of heinously assaulting your companion," said the king darkly.

"Small problem with that charge. I ditched her the first chance I had and got a better one for a small fee that didn't come out of the silver your clerk handed to me, not to mention I was nowhere near her that night," said Crow bored. The Sword and Bow hero believed him, considering the reception they got the next town over.

"Just because you slept outside the city gates does not mean you couldn't have snuck over the walls and into her room!" he roared.

"Even if I have eye witnesses that vouch I was in another town the night she claimed I attacked her? Or the fact that she very clearly is pissed off that I chose a demi-human as my companion instead of her despite the fact she kept trying to seduce me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

He could find several store owners like the one that ran the magic shop and the blacksmith who could vouch for the fact the red-haired idiot kept pushing up her bust while trying to get his attention.

He had lost interest in all red heads thanks to his bitch of an ex-fiancee Ginny and her harpy mother.

The girl looked really ticked off now.

"You. You're the one who started spreading that awful rumor that I'm uglier than some pathetic demi-human slave!"

He cast a long look at the girl, clearly eying her up and down before declaring flatly in a manner of utter seriousness "I've seen better on a seventy year old woman with a cat fetish."

And by that he meant Professor McGonagall. She was more impressive than this twit.

Oh and there was the twitching vein now. She really hated they way he easily insinuated she was ugly and that he was more interested in an old woman than her. If it weren't for the fact that she had claimed he raped her (despite some very big holes in her story), she would have started yelling about how he _wished_ someone like her would deign to sleep with someone like him.

From the look on the faces of the other two (with Spear boy obviously taking the girl's side in hopes of sleeping with her) they had noticed it too, because they were starting to think the entire thing was because she wanted revenge for him dumping her so publicly for someone with animal features.

Basically a lover's quarrel (though Crow made it very clear he had _zero_ interest in her) gone way too far.

Crow eyed the king. It was pretty damn clear the man had a grudge against the 'Shield' Hero for some reason, and therefor him. And that was a headache he could care less for.

So he picked Raphtalia up, put her on his shoulders, and just left without a word. Obviously the king wouldn't see reason, so he didn't need to waste his time trying to defend himself.

Two of the three heros watched this, silently impressed at how 'cool' he was acting.


	2. Chapter 2

Raphtalia grew quickly until she was roughly his own age...in a span of less than a week. Crow chalked it up to her not being human and left it at that. He had seen weirder.

He just hoped her mentality didn't shift from child to adult just as quickly. The closest he had ever come to sharing a bed with someone had been Ginny...everyone else had been a string of random faces he didn't bother to keep track of, generally because they were used to get closer to him. After that he generally dumped them and gave the cold shoulder.

She seemed to like just being called Talia though. Perhaps because she could tell it was a name of endearment to her new 'brother'.

There was one thing that bugged the hell out of him. So five towns away near an area with a mine infested with demons, he finally decided to get an answer.

"What exactly is an Arch Mage?"

"An Arch Mage is someone who has mastered magic to an extremely high extent, and can tap into the natural ley lines within the planet. In rank they match that of the head priest or priestess of the churches that contain the Dragon Hour Glass and can even order the Guards without fear of reprisal," explained the owner of the magic book shop. He was getting some illusion spells for Talia. She seemed to have a knack for them once he showed her how.

"And a Grandmaster Arch Mage?"

"Is equal in rank only to the royal family. And even then they have the ability to dismiss the king's orders. But one hasn't been seen since the beginning of the first Heroes."

"Huh. I was just curious, because I had seen the term in a really old scroll and didn't know what it was."

"It's an old term. There's only seven Arch Mages, and all of them were used to summon the heroes, from what I heard," agreed the shopkeeper. "That will be fifteen silver."

"Keep the change. Not like I have much use for coin when goods are more useful in the wilds."

Coins and paper money were of little use out in the wild. And because he had a habit of tipping well when he got information that was useful (or tipping well in general) people talked well about him.

He found it easier to deal with bad rumors (like the one about him assaulting that spoiled princess) with ones that eclipsed them. Like the Shield Hero being generous with the funds the king gave him, or the fact he bought slaves but treated them more like family than anything.

"Crow-nii why did you ask about arch mages?"

"You can see my status right?"

"Most of it."

"I'll show you why later. Trust me, I needed to find out before it came back to haunt me."

Needless to say Raphtalia was in complete shock when she read Crow's status.

 **Crow**

 **Title: Sheild Hero/Master of Death**

 **Rank: Legendary Hero/Grandmaster Arch Mage**

 **Age: 32**

"...You're thirty-two? But you look only..."

"I look barely eighteen, because that was the age I took up the mantle as Death's Master. I've spent the past thirteen years since being stuck as the clean-up mage in charge of dealing with idiots who think they can get away with using the less pleasant magic spells to hurt others, because no one else had the balls to do so. It's also the reason why I chose to pick someone from the slaver's tent than deal with a companion the king had picked out. I'm used to being on my own, but if I have to have someone to travel with I would prefer that they were at least honest about why they wanted me dead," said Crow.

He'd been bitten one too many times like that before he turned 21, and after the last time he had given it up as a bad job altogether.

If he could have gotten away with it, he would have found a market like the one he found Raphtalia in sooner...preferably without that idiot Hermione screaming his ears off.

Talia didn't seem to mind that fact. If anything she was happy Crow had picked her. He was much nicer than the others.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Shield Hero-sama. May I say it's was a pleasure to see the way that spoiled girl fumed over being called ugly while compared to one of my slaves."

"Oh believe me, it was even funnier when I pointed out I was in another town when she claimed I had assaulted her, and then spread more rumors about the others," joked Crow.

The slave owner smirked evilly in agreement. That was especially hilarious, hearing some of the things Crow came up with as a counter-attack to the claims he had assaulted the princess. The Spear hero had found he had a high turnover rate of party members, as girls quickly found out the rumor he was only interested in sleeping with them were true.

The only constant companion he had was the princess, and she was still pissed whenever word spread of the Shield Hero who was 'more generous' and 'very kind' in every town or village they came across.

While the rumors of him raping her were spread far and wide by the king, his rumors about the Spear Hero and how the girl had made them up because he dumped her after the first day for a demi-human were spread even faster.

Though the fastest rumor of all (which was fact) was the one of the Shield Hero being extra generous to those who showed his party exceptional service. Things like where the dungeons were, an small discount, or telling him where to find useful items. It spread exceptionally fast among those who sold slaves and pets.

He had already acquired an interesting monster's egg. He had no idea what was inside it (neither did the man who sold it) but he had the feeling he could make it useful.

In any case he wondered how that foolish king and his lying daughter would react to his true pet. It had taken some doing, but fortunately that ornery old bird happened to _like_ him enough to save his skin. Or at least act as a familiar to keep people from calling him the next Dark Lord.

"That reminds me. We need to visit that hourglass to see when the wave hits," said Crow.

"It's in the capital," said Raphtalia.

"Great. Well if the idiot brigade tries to start something, rest assured I'll finish it first," said Crow tiredly.

And by that he meant the Spear hero and his ever changing party of loose women.

The Bow and Sword heroes were giving him an odd look. Apparently they, unlike the Spear Hero, had been listening to the counter rumors Crow had immediately spread upon hearing the fake charges.

That and the fact Crow tipped especially well to shopkeepers meant they found it easier to get better gear, compared to the Spear hero who found the price slightly jacked up. Not by much, but enough that it had made a noticeable dent in his funds.

Apparently thanks to his efforts, the Shield Hero was nicer and more pleasant than the playboy Spear Hero.

Until they did something of worth, Crow wouldn't bother remembering their names. It was less painful that way in the event they got killed.

* * *

He walked into the Church.

"I'm here to see the Dragon's Era Hourglass."

"Right this way sir," said the nun. She was neutral, considering some of the rumors she had heard about the Spear Hero, and the fact that people seemed to like Crow better. Even if there was that ridiculous one about him assaulting the princess, it was hard to believe her story when there were multiple people who saw him in another town entirely with a Demi-Human that same night.

"Let's see... only an hour before the next wave hits?" said Crow in surprise.

"An _hour_?" said Raphtalia in shock.

"Means we have enough time to upgrade our armor and get something to eat," said Crow shrugging.

They left the church and he apparated them straight to the blacksmith's shop.

"What are you doing here? Isn't the next wave about to hit?"

"Perfect time to upgrade our armor, considering from what I understand about this mess we'll be taken to where it is anyway."

"...What's your price range?"

"I still have four hundred silver that the king gave me before that idiot daughter of his tried to claim I attacked her," deadpanned Crow.

"...I'll be right back. Any preferences?"

"Anything that can handle magic usage. The more it can take the better, and if goes over four hundred I'll still be able to use the money we've been collecting by leveling Talia up," said Crow simply.

"What level of magic?"

"Again, the higher the better. Preferably arch mage level, but I'll take anything I can get seeing as how the _last_ time I used a meager fire spell the damn thing burnt most of my clothes to cinders," he said.

The man blinked twice, before shrugging and pulling out various armors. Most of it was lightweight, but reinforced to handle the effects of magic. Talia took a swordsman's armor, seeing as how she was more used to blades.

Roughly thirty minutes before the next wave was to hit, they both turned when they heard a cracking sound from Talia's bag.

She pulled it out and revealed the egg they had been carrying for the better part of a week.

What hatched looked like the cross between a phoenix and an ostrich, in Crow's honest opinion.

"A philorial. You've got some strange luck, hatching something like that just before a wave."

"Odds are it'll grow up as fast as Talia before it's over. Got any armor for birds too?"

"I have some, but it'll cost extra."

Crow pulled out a large bag full of coin.

"Better to get it now than to deal with it later."

The man grinned.

"Coming right up."

He pulled out a set of chest and neck armor, along with something for the talons. Crow made sure to pay up front in case they got pulled into the wave suddenly. He also got a smaller, sleeker set of armor for a second bird, though he didn't name what kind it was. He was just surprised the man bothered to stock it.

(He would later find out that he had bought them from the slave merchants on the off chance Crow showed up.)

Crow paid well for the armor, and they barely had five minutes before the wave was about to hit when they put it on. The armor for the newly hatched bird and the one Crow was expecting to show up was stored in his special bag.

Talia still didn't know how the heck it could hold so much and still lay flat.

They waited while snacking on one of Crow's dried snack bags he had made months before coming to this world. Raphtalia had a real love of the things, which wasn't that surprising considering she was, after all, a raccoon.

Abruptly they were transferred to another town entirely and the sky darkened.

"Where are we?"

"Near Ryute, if I recall," said Talia easily. The recently hatched bird chirp from her bag, where it rested. It knew it wasn't big enough to do any damage.

"So what are we going to name our new feathered friend?" asked Crow, walking towards the town rather than the crack. Only a fool would head straight for the main opening without fortifying the civilians first.

Case in point, the other three Heroes went straight for the crack instead of the town. Idiots.

"How about Firo?"

The bird thing chirped, pleased.

"Firo it is then."

They made it five minutes before the first advanced forces hit the town.

"Raphtalia, you get everyone to safety while I deal with these idiots. Firo, you stay with her. I don't want you blasted by accident."

Firo chirped.

"Now to give these things a nasty surprise."

Crow began chanting in a fast, but clear tone while Raphtalia and Firo got the civilians to shelter behind solid doors.

Without much warning, he threw up the arm with the shield that morphed into a new form called "Magic's Embrace". It decreased the casting time and a small fraction of the mana it took to cast high-level spells...and made the weaker ones almost instantaneous. He could cast low-level healing spells with this shield and it wouldn't drain him more than a single point.

The wasps and other assorted monsters ran headlong into the barrier he had erected through pure force of will, and it became the magical equivalent of a bug-zapper. All the weaker monsters below level 20 were fried...and the strong ones had to fight to get through the shield at all.

He destroyed those with some fiendfyre.

"Are you alright?" asked Raphtalia...with a massive Ostrich-like bird with the coloring he had only ever seen in Fawkes...except where he was like the sunset, Firo was like the sunrise.

"Fine. Not like they could handle me after all the crap I went through before I came here. Think Firo could fit into her armor now?" asked Crow.

"The talon-guards, maybe. She grew pretty fast without much warning and it was a good thing she was out of my bag at the time," said Raphtalia, eying the bird.

"Making a magical monster-zapper will do that for you," said Crow with a mischievous look on his face. He pulled out the Talon-guards, which were more like magically enforced shoes for birds that could deal even _more_ damage than a simple kick would account for, and Firo slipped into them.

Another added benefit was that the things gave her better traction, especially on slippery surfaces like ice.

"How are we supposed to make it to the battlefield in time? Firo has only hatched and grown up...I doubt she'd be ready to run us over."

"Which is why I got the other armor. Don't freak out about this..." warned Crow, before he held up the arm that _didn't_ have the Shield and cried out a name. _**"FAWKES!"**_

At first nothing happened...then an increasing heat that felt like pure sunlight engulfed the area.

A cry Raphtalia had never heard before, but uplifted her spirit, rang out through the silent town. That was when she saw the bird.

"What is that?"

"Phoenix. Long time no see Fawkes."

The bird took one look at him and began to smack him on the head with his wing.

"Fawkes, you can berate me properly later. We have to deal with those things first!" yelped Crow.

The bird glared, but sat on his shoulder. It then seemed to notice his new arm decoration. He huffed, before plucking one of his feathers from his wing and dropping it on the shield. Then, to Crow's complete bafflement, allowed three large tears to fall on the gem.

 _'Phoenix Feather Shield now unlocked. Healing magic increased by 50 percent while active. Poison resistance up by 50 percent. EXP increased by 25 percent. Fire resistance increased by 75 percent.'_

Crow stared at his shield, which now looked like a phoenix bursting into flames. This was a seriously useful shield, better than any monster he had added to it previously. It was even better than the shield he had gotten from the egg shell Firo came in.

 _Fawkes has now joined your Party._

"Firo, you keep an eye on the village. You can eat any of the monsters outside the barrier I erected if you're hungry, and I bet you are."

Firo made a happy noise, and Crow made a point to lower his shield just enough that it touched the monsters. Once they were clear of the piles Fawkes flamed them to where the army was trying to hold back the monsters pouring forth.

"Talia, you help the wounded to a clear area. Fawkes, you keep morale high. Don't bother with the Heroes, they need the experience if they're going to be of any real use next time," said Crow. Fawkes trilled in agreement. Nothing like trial by fire to get a measure of people's worth.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to have some real fun," said Crow with an evil grin. It had been far too long since he let loose and used his magic, and this was an excellent battlefield test of the spells he had learned since coming here.

* * *

The soldiers took one look at the Shield Hero's attacks, and immediately avoided the area. A few noted that shields suddenly sprang around them before they were attacked, saving their lives. It was easy to figure out the Shield had something to do with that, though the level of power it would take to make barriers that strong were ridiculous.

Unlike the other Heroes, who were just _barely_ holding their own against the Chimera monster, the Shield seemed to have no problem dealing with mobs of them. In fact he seemed to be having fun while his companion made hit-and-runs into areas where monsters ganged up on the soldiers and took them out before helping to take the wounded to a larger group. And the bird, which was the color of sunset, flew overhead singing some sort of tune that lifted their spirits and renewed the energy they thought they has lost. It also seemed to cause the monsters pain, which was more than enough for them.

As far as the soldiers were concerned, the Shield Hero was more useful than the other three put together. At least he knew what to do in a _real_ battle.

Finally the other heroes killed the Chimera boss, though they looked more worn for wear.

The Shield Hero turned his attention to the suddenly fleeing mass of monsters.

He cast a spell unknown to the soldiers, but the effect was pretty clear. Wide-spread destruction. A dragon made of flames roared, before charging the fleeing monsters. Whatever it touched turned to ash, until it vanished right before hitting the barrier.

The Shield hero paused and took a few deep breaths before draining a large mana potion dry. He looked particularly pleased about the amount of destruction...or perhaps it was the large kill count he had acquired.

He had done more damage to the attacking force than the other three heroes and their companions _combined._

Then the Shield Hero looked for his companion.

"The wounded tents are this way. Are you going to try out your new Shield?"

"Might as well test out the Phoenix Feather Shield to see if I can't lessen their recovery time," said the hero with a shrug.

The bird landed on his shoulder, before making a series of odd trills.

"You can go tell Firo where to find us. I have the feeling I'll need your help healing the wounded."

The bird trilled again, before flaming away.

The Shield hero seemed to be looking for someone, before he found an officer ranked enough to give orders.

"Tell the men to burn any monster bodies they come across."

"Why?"

"Partly as a way to _insure_ the blasted things are actually dead, but also as a reminder to the heroes that they should have fortified the village first. If I hadn't cast that barrier around the village and killed the survivors, there would have been heavy casualties from the advanced forces. I don't think they've earned any of the remaining parts for their weapons, do you?" said the Shield dryly.

The man blinked, before his face turned hard.

"They earned the Chimera, at least, but I agree they should have left at least _one_ person to fortify the village. What are you going to do now?"

"I know some healing. If nothing else I can free those trying to save the wounded to deal with the more serious injuries while I take care of the minor ones."

The officer was relieved. If that odd fire bird could lift their morale while they were fighting, then who knew what sort of effect it's song would bring to those injured and in need of healing.

A philorial with talon guards raced up. It was almost full grown and the fire bird flew above it. The philo trilled before head butting the Shield hero lightly.

"Did you enjoy those monsters Firo?"

It trilled in pleasure, before head butting again.

"Do you want to help with the clean up?"

It shook it's head. It had eaten it's fill, apparently.

"Stay close to Talia then. And no kicking...unless it's the Spear hero or his idiot red haired companion."

The officer blinked at the odd command.

"What do you have against the Spear Hero?"

"He's more interested in sleeping around than training, and the 'princess' thought she could pull a fast one by claiming I assaulted her. Unfortunately for her, I could tell she was after something other than being part of my party, which was why I high-tailed it to the first town I could find away from the castle. Pretty hard to believe her claims when I was in another town entirely," said the Shield hero dryly.

The Shield Hero, who never gave out his name, walked into the field hospital and shifted the form of his shield. He looked at the fire bird.

"Ready, Fawkes?"

The fire bird trilled, and prepared to take flight.

" _I am the path to the eternal flame. May this world be cleansed of all ills and pain. May the blessed fire heal the damaged flesh. Phoenix Fire Rebirth!"_

Fawkes took off from his shoulder, and became a miniature sun as the Shield sent flames to him. From the bird came down what appeared to be fire balls at first...but every person these flames came into contact yelped in surprised, before realizing their pain and injuries were healing at an accelerated rate. Poisons and toxins were burned away, and what wounds there were healed with minimal scarring. And during the strange spell, the uplifting song of the bird spread through camp.

Then the song came to a slow halt, and the bird burst into a different sort of flame and neatly landed in the Shield Hero's hands.

There, sitting rather weakly, was a baby bird chick. It was a much younger, more exhausted form of the fire bird that had healed so many with the Shield's help.

There was only _one_ fire bird that the mages knew of that could be reborn in flames.

The question was...where the heck did the Shield Hero get his hands on an adult phoenix that was _that_ loyal to him?!


	3. Chapter 3

Any chance of the soldiers believing the Princess' claim went right out the window. No one who was vile enough to attack an unarmed woman would have a phoenix in their party, let alone have a strong enough bond to pull off what the Shield Hero did.

The other Heroes were slightly upset that the soldiers were burning the monsters...the Spear hero particularly. He seemed to think they were entitled to the remains to upgrade their weapons.

Unfortunately the Captain of the Queen's Guard happened to agree with the Shield Hero. It was better to burn the remains and make sure they were dead, then to let a _living_ one remain and possibly get stronger to come back and kill you.

They still had no idea what his actual name or how strong he actually was, magic wise.

He was clearly a higher level magic user than the others though, if only because of the spells he used during the fight.

The Shield was currently sleeping off the spell he used with the Phoenix, who was currently inside the philorial's feathers. Apparently it got along with the armored bird. And wasn't that a kicker...according to the hero's companion, they had been armor shopping mere _minutes_ before the wave actually hit and had come prepared to armor up their recently hatched philorial!

Almost like the hero had _known_ that his newly hatched pet would grow at an abnormal rate and that it would need armor once it was big enough.

When the Shield hero woke up, he ate some of his food to restore the energy he had used up. He showed Talia how to feed the baby phoenix. Knowing his luck Fawkes would be back up and flying in a couple of days.

A guard came in.

"The Captain wishes to speak to the Shield Hero. Alone."

"He's not one of those people who believe the King is he?" asked Crow slowly.

"He's the Queen's Guard, not the King's, and she didn't believe a word her daughter said when she made those claims you assaulted her. Particularly since you proved you weren't even in town."

"Talia, you're in charge of Firo and Fawkes. Don't let his baby form fool you, he's older than I am."

"Yes sir," said Talia with a mock salute.

Crow looked at the guard.

"Lead on."

Crow noticed the respectful looks he got from the other soldiers, he nodded in return. When he got to a single tent with two guards outside, he waited before going in.

The Captain of the Queen's Guard was someone he liked immediately. A no-nonsense attitude and strength that had been earned with blood and sweat and not granted by magic.

"Shield Hero," he said.

"Captain."

"I must admit, we never expected the hero that everyone believed to be the weakest of the four to do more damage than the other three put together...let alone have enough strength to heal almost everyone in a storm of phoenix fire."

"It helps that I was a mage before I came here, and that I had training in battle magic for ten years."

The Captain gave him a long, evaluating look.

"You're not like the others. They seem to treat this like a game, not caring about those they lose. Even the Sword Hero believes that he is in some sort of dream that he can wake up from."

"They're young, naïve and in the case of the Spear, a complete idiot. Wait until it's their ass about to die, and then we'll see if they treat this world like a game."

"We never heard your name. Even when the King ignored you, you never said a thing and merely left before the others could approach."

"I understand one fact those three didn't. Perhaps understand isn't the word... I've...experienced...a fact that they have yet to realize."

"What fact is that?"

"The only thing people, no matter what form they take, enjoy more than a hero...is seeing one fall from grace. They will adore you while your star shines in the eyes of those important, but the moment you do or say something that angers those high up, they can't drop you fast enough. And unfortunately for that red-haired twit, I knew her game the second I looked her in the eyes. My ex-fiancee was of a similar type."

The Captain looked at the Shield Hero with renewed respect. This was someone who had seen war, real war, and come out alive. He had been through hell and back, and learned the hard way not to give a damn and to only give trust to those who genuinely deserved it. He knew the value of preparation and planning, and the cost of winning.

Truly someone worth working with.

"Cyril," he said holding out his hand.

"Call me Crow. Mage, Shield Hero, and all around annoying pest to those that are up to no good," he said, shaking it firmly. "I've mostly been called the Man-Who-Just-Won't-Die by those who've annoyed me."

Cyril grinned.

"I could use a man like that. So tell me, where did you come across a phoenix? They're harder to find than dragons these days."

"I didn't find him. He used to belong to someone I respected a first, but learned wasn't worth my trust. Fawkes agreed to come to me if I ever called him when I was only twelve, and I figured he could use a break from people trying to turn him into their familiar."

"Well I'm glad you did. Thanks to you almost all the wounded were saved, and the village was relatively untouched. What level are you?"

"You mean as an Adventurer or as a mage?"

"Both."

"I'm only 37...but apparently my abilities translated over to something that would make even that fool king of yours think twice about pissing me off to the point I took him seriously. You sure you really want to know?"

"If only so I know where to put you during the next wave. I prefer to have a place for those who can do real damage."

Crow snorted.

"Why did you think I let the children play with the Chimera? They needed the experience, whereas you needed the help more. If I were to have joined them, the thing was liable to have run crying home to it's mother. A little adversity and near-death fights is good experience for them."

Cyril couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he said in genuine amusement.

"But in terms of placement, front to mid lines is best, or close to the wounded. I prefer to heal and train rather than fight if I can help it and I hate killing humans. My policy is that unless it tries to eat, maim or otherwise pisses me off, it's not my concern. I can deal massive range damage, and as you likely saw with the dragon made of fire, I can do a lot of collateral damage if given time. And if I'm in the air, you'll find that I am quite literally untouchable by mortal means."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"I can shape shift to a limited amount, and I have never lost an aerial battle."

"Good to know. The King had invited all the Heroes to a feast in thanks for dealing with the wave."

"No doubt he plans to pull a fast one and generally make himself look like an idiot. And he'll likely use the Spear Hero as his chosen fighter, considering they're both fools," said Crow tiredly.

Cyril snorted in agreement.

"So where exactly can we get horses?"

"Philorials are superior to horses, and faster to boot."

"Well, at least that solves one headache."

* * *

Firo, as it turned out, was faster than any broom he had ever owned when he flow low to the ground. Then again, it didn't help that he was used to high speeds...whereas poor Raphtalia apparently had severe motion sickness. The tiny form of Fawkes warbled to at least keep her from throwing up.

Crow wondered if he could train Firo to fly. Be interesting.

He made a point of avoiding the other Heroes and their parties, and sticking close to his group. At least that had been the plan until the Sword boy somehow managed to drag him into sitting within talking distance.

Apparently he was wondering how he had acquired a phoenix and made such a large dragon.

Okay, so Sword Boy wasn't _nearly_ as annoying as Spear, even if the Bow kid was somewhat anti-social towards him.

Either way he was glad there was an entire table's length between him and that red-haired pest and her lover.

"We never did get your name," said the sword boy.

"That's because I never gave it. I've learned it's better never to get too close to people, because whenever I do they have a habit of turning on me later. And I find it's easier to deal with the deaths of others if I don't have their names," said Crow.

The Sword Hero didn't know how to take that, so he carefully asked "You've seen a lot of death then?"

"I was in a war, and won it. After that I've mostly been treated like a mercenary," he said in a flat tone. Almost like he was commenting on the weather.

"Why didn't you show up to deal with the Chimera?"

"None of you bothered to fortify the town, despite the fact that they sent advanced forces to destroy it. Besides, the soldiers needed the help and you three need the experience more than I did," said Crow.

"...Are you the reason why the shopkeepers are always so _eager_ to help us find dungeons and rare items?" asked the bow kid finally.

"I tip very well for that information. I find that coin gives people a reason to divulge information they would normally keep to themselves unless asked."

The bow kid nodded to himself.

"I thought it was weird how they kept dropping hints about where to find dungeons with interesting monsters and had very rare items," he said.

"They never tell me anything! It's like they can't get rid of me fast enough, especially if the owner is a woman!" complained the Spear kid. And that attitude went _double_ if Mein was with him. It was baffling.

Sword boy looked at him.

"I never said anything but the truth, though that rumor about me ditching that red haired fool of a companion of yours for a Raccoon girl is true. I couldn't get rid of her fast enough," said Crow easily. Seeing the girl up her glare towards him and Talia was totally worth those counter rumors.

Spear boy looked pissed.

"I heard you were traveling with a slave girl," he sneered.

Raphtalia looked insulted.

"He _saved_ me from that life and told the slave owner not to put the mark on me! He is far more chivalrous than you!"

"I bet the seal is making you say such things!" declared Spear boy.

"Oi, Mr. I-have-major-impotency-issues-so-I-use-a-spear, can you at least have the decency to let us finish eating before you drag us into something asinine and annoying?" Crow called out. Bow and Sword choked on their drink while trying not to laugh. Crow thought a little better of them because of it. Spear boy looked pissed.

"My name is Moyotama!" he snarled.

"Whatever you say...ma'am," he said, making a pointed look at the long-ass ponytail the idiot had. Sword and Bow were definitely trying not to laugh now. So were their companions.

"I'm a guy!"

"Is that what you told your boyfriend next to you?"

Now the annoying red head was growling. Crow was having far too much fun with annoying them, all with a lazy drawl.

The king however, was going to spoil his fun. At least for the moment.

"I had heard one of the heroes was using _slaves_ as companions. I should have know it was you, Shield," he declared. Crow rolled his eyes.

"I demand a duel!" shouted the irate Spear hero. Crow wasn't going to bother remembering his name unless he did something to piss him off.

"So your impotency is so great you feel the urge to challenge the one hero who doesn't bother with conventional weapons?" he asked raising a single eyebrow. Seeing the rage in the Spear idiot's eyes, and the barely repressed anger in the King's, he sighed.

"Talia, hold my bag while I teach this idiot some humility. It shouldn't take too long," he said in boredom. Raphtalia accepted the bag easily, and waited by the Sword neatly kept the Knights from trying to gag her.

The dueling arena was, thankfully, outdoors and under an open sky. It gave him plenty of room to fly.

Spear boy growled at him and if he had been a weaker man, he wouldn't have been prepared for the sudden attack the moment the king gave the 'okay'.

As it was he neatly danced around the spear's sharp blade. A few minutes of that had him bored out of his skull, so he decided to let his Marauder heritage out to play.

He took a running leap towards the spear, before jumping as high as he could into the air and shifting into one of his secondary animal forms.

While his animagus form would always be a crow, he had discovered that one could shift into others provided they had the incentive and a clear image of what they wanted...and the magic to power it.

Considering he was the most powerful mage in the current world, and had read so many biology books he was practically a qualified vet, this wasn't much of a restriction.

Where the Shield Hero had been was now a massive Western-style dragon. Where the shield had been on his arm in human form, it now took the place of armor, covering his chest from any attack, yet leaving his wings free of constriction.

Needless to say the other three heroes stared in stunned disbelief.

A low rumble emerged from his throat, and a long, low roar caused the spear Hero to piss himself from fear of those long massive teeth. The stench of it's breath hinted at the fact it wouldn't mind eating _him_ if he didn't do something.

Unfortunately the Shield protected the dragon from anything he tried, until the dragon had him pinned under it's deadly talons and staring at him with cold, disinterested emerald green eyes.

" **I believe this is game, set and match. Next time you plan to piss off an arch mage, little _boy_ , do make sure that they don't take you seriously enough to kill you,"** said the dragon. How it was able to speak human, they had no idea, but the message was clear.

Piss me off at your own peril, because I will not hesitate to end you.

"Winner, the Shield," said Cyril, seeing as how everyone was still too stunned to think. The amount of magic required to turn into a dragon was _enormous_ , and there little doubt that Shield was an arch mage if he could pull THIS off.

"What sort of devilry is this?!" demanded the king.

The 'dragon' turned to face him with annoyance.

" **I'm not the idiot who dragged an arch-mage level magic user with an emphasis on transformation and unknown battle magic into another world to fight for them. Next time you do a summoning, do a background check first,"** said Crow with a flick of his long and spiked tail.

Cyril made a low snort. He couldn't help it, because the king was just told off by a dragon.

* * *

"I love illusion spells, I really do."

After the utter beatdown he had given the spear hero and the way he humiliated the king by showing off his animal transformation (proving he was definitely arch mage class at least) people would have given the shield hero a wide berth. There was little doubt the king hated him now, and anyone on his bad side usually had soldiers at the door with chains.

Hence why Crow had Talia practicing her illusion spells. She hid his shield, his face and his natural hair color.

The blacksmith grinned when he saw Talia.

"How did the armor work out for you?"

"Very well. It saved me more than a few times while we fought, and Firo has made some good use out of the talon-guards."

"And our dashing young dragon boy?"

"Crow, actually. But with enough practice and the right amount of power you can learn to take other forms. Too bad Fawkes isn't big enough to try out his new armor," said Crow grinning.

"See you've set that idiot Spear hero and the princess on their ears."

"Oh yes, the fools thought I cared how they perceived me. I might actually tell the other two my name if they continue to amuse me and don't do something monumentally idiotic to annoy me."

The blacksmith laughed.

"So, what's this I heard about you having a phoenix?"

Crow reached into his bag and pulled out a half-grown phoenix. Giving the Spear hero a much needed wake-up call had given Fawkes a large enough boost to turn into an adolescent.

"This is Fawkes. He was the companion to my old teacher, until he bonded to me. If you ask nicely and bribe him, he might be willing to part with a few feathers you can use in your weapons," said Crow.

That got his attention.

"What kind of bribe?"

"Well, he likes dried fruits and seeds," offered Crow.

By the time they left, the blacksmith had four feathers and a small vial of tears to experiment with...with the agreement that none of the new phoenix line of weapons would go to the Spear Hero or the princess.


	4. Chapter 4

Crow woke up one morning to find himself with a mouthful of feathers. He sat up and discovered Firo had her body acting as his pillow. And while it was nice to have something soft to lay his head on, the mouthful of feathers wasn't.

Fawkes trilled. It sounded like he was laughing at him. Crow turned to find Talia snuggled up against him like he was a giant teddy bear.

It felt...nice.

Still, it was getting uncomfortably hot. And as nice as it felt, they had to get up.

"Five more minutes..." said Talia in her sleep.

With experience of clingy ex-dalliances, he easily shifted Raphtalia onto Firo, with the firm pat on the head. Fawkes curled back into Firo's feathery mass and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile Crow went about stretching, making breakfast, and getting the tea ready. He had tried coffee before, but never really liked it unless there weren't any other options left.

By the time Talia and the others woke up, he had already made breakfast for everyone, including the still-growing Fawkes.

"Why is it you never let me make breakfast?"

"I let you do the dishes, because you like to sleep in. Besides, it gives me a little time to myself. Morning Firo, Fawkes," he said.

Privacy and a few hours alone was more precious to him than all the gold in the world. It was the only time he could be himself. So he cherished the brief morning moments he had alone.

"What's on the plan today, Crow?"

"We're going on a dungeon raid, if only so I can get Fawkes back to his adult size. Well that and you could both use some extra experience."

This dungeon used to be a mine, before the monsters moved in and scared everyone off. He had a bad feeling about the place, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. Besides, multiple shop owners had told him about how there was a rare monster inside, and he wasn't about to let the other Heroes try their luck.

From what he saw of the level, there was likely a very high level and difficult beast inside.

Once camp was broken down for the night, and they had all put their armor on (including Fawkes, who would likely grow back into his), they ventured into the mines.

* * *

Crow was having an absolutely crappy time in the mines.

Everything had been going so well! Fawkes had 'leveled up' enough to regain his adult form and now fit into the armor he bought for him, Firo was putting her talon guards to very good use and was able to take out monsters without his help (but most definitely with his approval) and Raphtalia was using her skills in illusion to ensnare the enemy to the point where it didn't even realize it was dead until the blow was struck.

He had even unlocked quite a few useful shields, like the one that amplified sound thanks to those odd bats.

Then everything went pear shaped the second Talia saw a two headed dog. From the way she started trembling he had the feeling she had some unresolved fears to deal with...and probably legitimate ones at that.

In the spirit of ending the fight quickly to help Talia with her fear, he used the one spell he hated above all others, if only because of the grief it had caused him for years.

"Avada Kedevra."

The sickly green light passed over Firo's head to strike the two-headed hound squarely. It, like so many other creatures before it, fell dead to the ground before Firo could attack. The odd bird poked the dog with it's feet, before looking at him quizzically. Crow was too busy calming Talia down.

"It's okay. It's dead."

Talia was shaking like a leaf, so Fawkes crooned a gentle song to calm her down. It took five minutes, which was longer than Crow would have liked, but it worked.

"Now, why are you so terrified of dogs?"

"My parents. My village. My friends...they were all killed by a Cerberus. It was a monster of the Wave, and it attacked us without any warning. My mom and dad ran to the cliff, and they sent me off it to protect me...when I got back to the village it was gone, and the adventurers were capturing everyone left to sell to the slave traders. None of them would go after the beast," cried Talia.

"...Sounds like we both had our parents die to protect us. You from a monster, me from a mad man obsessed with certain bloodlines. Raphtalia, look at me."

She did, if only because he called her by her full name, and not the shortened nickname he had given her.

"When we find that beast you are going to help me kill the damn thing. Being struck by that blasted curse isn't good enough. We are going to show it that hell has come to met it head on. But to do that you need to learn how to face your fear and meet it head on."

Raphtalia looked him in the eye. He was strong, fierce, brave, and he valued loyalty and trust above all else.

"You're not afraid of anything."

"Not true. I fear getting close to others because I can't bear to see them die. Why else would I refuse to go anywhere near the other heroes or give them a false name? People around me die, betray me, or otherwise try to use me for their own gain. So I built a barrier to keep them far from me. And yet the one thing I hate more than seeing others die is being alone."

Raphtalia could sense that he had a lot of old scars on his soul. Except he faced them head on and took it a day at a time.

"You think I can kill that monster?"

"I know you can. But first we have to train our asses off so that when we find the damn thing it will have to fear _us_."

Fawkes trilled something, and Crow cocked his head.

"You really think I should add... _those_?"

He trilled again.

Crow sighed, like it was something he didn't want to do but knew it was inevitable anyway.

"I'll do it once we clear the cave. Those things are a level of overkill that this place doesn't require."

Raphtalia and Firo had no idea what he meant, but the phoenix did because it trilled in agreement. The Phoenix shield alone was so above what the other heroes had it wasn't even funny.

Though the Sword and Bow Heroes did impress him a little. Enough so that he gave them a small scale from his dragon form to add to their own weapons. It wasn't much, but it did provide a limited amount of abilities.

The two slowly made their way deeper into the cave. They had come this far and he would be irritated if he didn't at least clean the place out. Like an itch you couldn't scratch.

Besides, he had heard rumors the Spear Hero was heading this direction anyway and he had wanted to beat the boss and get the upgraded weapon before either of the two came anywhere near the place. If only to piss the idiot and the Princess off.

"This seems like Fate has it out for us. The one thing the boss could have been and it's another canine?" complained Crow.

Talia was shaking, but standing firm.

Firo. Well, Firo was Firo. She wanted to fight and prove herself to her master and the older bird.

Crow sighed.

"Well we could do this the hard way, helping Talia get over her fear and fight the thing until we're all exhausted."

"Or?" asked Talia.

"Or we could do the smart thing and fight with magic, with me overdoing it with my powers and you slowing down it's senses enough for Firo to get some good hits in while Fawkes makes a go at it's eyes."

"What about that spell you used on the one before?"

"There weren't any reflective surfaces around, and I hate using it on a good day. Besides, the last thing I need is to get too used to that spell."

Raphtalia didn't get it, but clearly Crow had some serious deep-seated issues about that spell.

Talia put her ability towards illusions to good work. She made the beast think Firo was coming at him from one side, when she was coming from the opposite. And once that got old, she would make Firo seem slower than she was. So the beast wouldn't be able to trust any of it's senses.

In the mean time Crow would practice his new magic spells on the beast, though he would mostly be using wind blades considering he had a very high affinity for it.

It took them _three hours_ to kill the thing, but in the end it dropped dead from multiple wounds.

"That...was not a level thirty monster."

Now more than ever he was glad he took this beast, because there was no way in hell the Spear Hero could have killed it, even with the red haired idiot's help.

What he saw once he started harvesting the beast made him groan.

"Dammit. This was more like a level fifty beast with all the augments it had!"

"Crow, do you hear something?"

It sounded like whimpering. Crow looked around before he face-palmed.

There, in the very back of the cave was a tiny puppy, barely level five at best. It had the same crystals the big one had, but only one head. The crystals seemed to form a sort of armor around it.

Raphtalia stiffened when she saw it.

"Before you get any ideas I am not killing it or letting you kill it. Hand me my bag," said Crow firmly. If they were lucky he could tame the thing and help Raphtalia over her fear of dogs with more than one head at the same time.

Talia handed him the bag, but refused to look at the pup. He searched and found some meat, because he refused to feed the thing it's own mother.

It certainly explained why the thing had been so adamant about defending it's territory.

The puppy sniffed the food, and tentatively ate a little. Crow went back to harvesting the bigger dog, and since he wasn't about to leave the puppy behind (partly because he was a sucker for animals, but also because he didn't want to leave an enemy that could hunt him down later) he made a make-shift sling.

Most of the monsters were fleeing, and he had already taken everything of worth from the cave. He kept a few teeth and crystals out so he could prove they cleared it, but he also made sure to firmly keep the pup tied away from the village and hidden so no one would try to kill it.

"Impressive," said the guild owner.

"What's the reward for cleaning it out?"

"Let me take you to the mayor so you can work out the details. It's a good thing you did this after the wave, because he can hand it out personally."

Crow walked out with a hundred gold coins, two Mastery level books (one of air magic and the other illusion, though he paid for the second one) and a reinforced cart for Firo, because he had seen how she eyed the ones the other philorials had been pulling around. It had steel on all the joints and was made so that it could go fast without breaking apart. It was mostly sold to the guards who transported supplies, but considering who he was they sold him one.

Talia gave the cart the stink eye, though it was nothing compared to the looks she shot the puppy.

"Why did you keep that thing? Please tell me we're selling it to the slave owners," she almost begged.

"You are going to get over your fear of dogs one way or another, and I refuse to sell this one just because of it. Besides, I like dogs."

Talia looked irritated, like she couldn't wait to get rid of the dog, but she wasn't about to disagree with him. As long as she didn't have to look at the evil thing she would put up with it.

Out of sight, out of mind, after all.

* * *

Crow's eye twitched. They were passing through Ryute again, mostly because they had to double back thanks to the bridge being out and the wagon was too heavy to try and drive through the river, when they noticed a commotion.

The Spear Hero was up to no good, again.

"What's this about?" asked Crow, pretending to be a simple merchant.

"The Spear Hero expects us to pay a tax of a full gold coin just to get in and out of the town as payment for the restoration!" said the citizen, highly offended.

"Why am I not surprised," sighed Crow. "Talia, keep an eye on the cart will you?"

Raphtalia took the reigns, though she didn't look happy.

"Hey Mr. Importency-Issues, are you really that greedy or are you a bigger idiot than I thought you were?" shouted Crow, making sure they got a good look at his face. Oh, there was the Vernon and Hermione shade of puce he had come to enjoy whenever he pissed them off royally. Or showed them up in a way they couldn't compete with.

"What are you doing here, _Shield?"_ spat the Spear hero. At this rate Crow would never remember his name.

"Aside from trying to reach the next town only to find a certain idiot was up to no good? Are you really so greedy you're charging them the equivalent of a full gold piece just to get in and out? They don't even charge that much for a night at the inn, and most of these people could survive on less than a copper a day."

"If they don't like it, they can take it up with the King," said the princess snidely.

Crow noticed the racing dragon on the side. What a tacky choice.

"How about a race. The winner gets control of the town and the loser has to pay up fifty silver pieces," said Crow, an evil idea forming.

"Make it fifty gold and you have a deal, _Shield_ ," said Spear greedily. Yup, he was an idiot.

"Do you even _have_ any gold, cheapskate?" said Crow with a smirk.

Spear took the bait and showed off his large sack of gold coins.

Both heroes put a sack of fifty gold pieces (the mayor had counted them out) and then they each took a mount. Spear boy naturally chose his dragon, but much to Firo's disappointment Crow didn't pick her. Instead he pulled out...a broom?

"Going to sweep me away, you stupid Shield?" sneered the Spear.

"Nope. I'm going to outclass you again, Mr. Impotency-Issues."

"IT'S MOYOTAMA!" he yelled.

"Sure it is, Mr. Impotent," said Crow. He felt like that character in that comic he got hooked on before he came here. Sai, something.

Crow waited until the race had already started before he mounted the broom...and promptly flew past Spear boy. Seeing the man's expression when he saw Crow flying easily right in front of him, sitting backwards while lazy reading a book was totally worth bringing out his old Firebolt. Seeing Crow overtake them and complete a lap before he even had a chance to complete _one_ was just icing on the cake.

And unfortunately for the princess, his clothes all had magic-resistance worthy of an arch mage. Her paltry spells and those of the guards with her couldn't even slow him down.

Crow completely outclassed the other hero in less than ten minutes, completing all ten laps before his opponent could complete four. Seeing his face turn an angry red color made his inner Marauder grin wildly.

"You cheated!"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong! All I said was that you had to be riding something, but I never specified it had to be a beast. And that's not even taking into account the fact that your butch friend and her guards tried to cheat using magic. You just assumed I'd be using Firo," said Crow sing-songed. Oh yeah, Sirius would be so proud.

"I demand a rematch!"

"Why? So Firo can kick both your ass and that of your cheap-ass dragon?"

Seeing the other hero seethe and his dragon hiss, Crow smirked.

"Have it your way. We'll have a best two out of three match, seeing as how I've already won once."

Firo, having guessed it was her turn to run, perked up. Raphtalia unhooked her harness, and removed all but the talon guards.

Crow crooned to his mount, silently adding a spell to make her practically fly and add massive magic resistance if they tried another trick like opening a hole under him. He had noticed that some of the guards had used earth spells.

Once again they lined up, though he had noticed the looks the dragon was giving Firo. Genetic hatred, perhaps?

At the signal, Firo took off like a bullet, outclassing the dragon with ease.

Crow had trained Firo's legs every night to improve her kicking power. As an added bonus it made her much, much faster than normal.

He noticed an odd glow around them both, but thanks to the magic resistance he gave her she barely slowed at all. And the spell to make her lighter made it easier for her to jump _over_ the hole that opened up without any warning.

Once again, Crow had beaten him.

The Spear idiot had little choice but to hand over the deed and the gold.

Both of which he promptly gave to the mayor (except for the bag he had originally started out with, because they were all fakes in the event he lost) before they got enough food to last until the next town.

Needless to say his reputation took a massive boost while the Spear Hero and the Princess' took a major dive.


	5. Chapter 5

Raphtalia was giving him odd looks for two days now. Finally Crow turned to face her.

"What?"

"Why do you have a flying broom? I thought those things only existed in fairy tales for girls," she asked.

"Back in my world we had this sport called 'quidditch'. It was played on brooms, and I was exceptionally good at it. When I was thirteen my godfather bought me a very expensive racing broom, since my original one was destroyed. After a while it was replaced with something better, and I kept getting the latest versions as a bribe. I have at least eight versions of the things, but the Firebolt is the one I stand by."

It was ironic, but he could _literally_ make his own quidditch team, down to the hoops if he so wanted. He had everything required to play it, from the different balls (he had three sets), to the bats, to the brooms themselves. He wasn't an idiot, and he had bought several of the newer (and quite a few of the older models like the Nimbus 2000) in the event he needed a quick get away and his current broom was destroyed.

Seeing her interest, Crow seized on a chance to help her.

"Tell you what, if you're interested I can teach you how to fly. I'm practically untouchable in the air."

Fawkes trilled in complete agreement to that statement. He had seen Crow fly, and there was almost nothing that could catch him, let alone touch him. There was little wonder he preferred animals that flew whenever he turned into one.

Raphtalia had misgivings, but she was willing to give it a shot. It looked easy.

That assumption went out the window. First she had to get the thing to come to her hand, which the broom _refused_ to do because she was slightly nervous about her motion sickness kicking in. Then came the balancing. She kept slipping off the end.

Finally came the actual _flying_.

Five minutes of that and she was quite happy to stay on the ground, thank you very much! She never knew she had a fear of heights until she got roughly ten feet off the ground and Crow had to help her land.

On the plus side, she didn't even notice the puppy sitting in her lap trying to comfort her since she was still freaking out a bit.

"I am never doing that again," said Talia firmly.

"It wasn't that..." started Crow, before he broke down laughing. The look on her face! He couldn't even finish his sentence before he cracked up.

"How can you possibly stand flying?!"

"Dunno. I've always felt at home in the air, and it never occurred to me that I should be afraid," shrugged Crow.

He honestly never thought about it. Ever since the first time he rode a broom, not once did he think about the fact he was in the air. It just felt natural to him.

"So where to next?"

"The next wave isn't for three weeks."

"So, just wander around until we find a quest worth dealing with?" said Crow. Talia nodded.

* * *

Crow twitched when he heard what happened to the town.

"So just to be clear, the Spear hero came through here, handed a seed he barely knew anything about, then left not bothering to see if the thing was safe?"

The mayor nodded miserably.

"Any doubts I had about his intelligence are gone. He is absolutely one of the biggest idiots I've ever met."

And he had thought Ron was a complete idiot.

Crow sighed, before looking at his group. The puppy was hidden by the wagon and a cloaking spell (he had found out early on people were either terrified of it or just wanted it for parts), Firo hadn't eaten today, and Raphtalia was always ready to fight.

"We'll clear out the mess the Spear hero started, in exchange for any magic books you have."

"Deal," said the Mayor without hesitation. Magic books were relatively easy to come by, but heroes who could clear out this mess were not.

The group headed into town, where Crow let the puppy (it was already level fifteen and still small enough to fit in the wagon without expansion charms) out. At this point Raphtalia had learned to tolerate it's existence in the group.

"Fawkes, you keep any of the plants from leaving the town with your fire. Firo, you'll use hit and run attacks, and when this is over help clean up. Fenrir (he looked at the puppy, who perked up at his name) you'll act as my back up. Raphtalia, you already know what to do. If we do this right this mess should be cleaned up before sunset," said Crow.

* * *

"Come on Fenrir, get in there!" said Crow, shoving the dog into the wagon. The hound whined, as it had grown in the span of a few hours until it was roughly the size of the wagon. It couldn't fit in there anymore.

"Why did it only get that big at level twenty when it was still puppy-sized at fifteen?"

"Probably for the same reason his mother was bigger than a double-decker bus," muttered Crow, before he answered her "At least he's not bigger than the wagon itself, though this will be a problem. How big did you say that Cerberus that attacked your parents was?"

"Big. Almost as big as our house. Why?"

"Well think of it this way. If Fenrir keeps getting bigger then he can kick that dog's ass when we finally find the bastard," said Crow cheerfully.

Raphtalia considered that. Fenrir was roughly the same size as Cerberus was, but she wasn't afraid or hated him. And his mother had been _massive_ before they had to kill her. So the thought of traveling with a massive dog big enough to ride, surprisingly, didn't bother her.

She knew Fenrir was friendly, provided Crow introduced you first. He was reasonably paranoid about anyone older than ten.

Fenrir whined. It didn't want to ride in the cart again.

Crow gave up.

"You can run so long as you keep up. But you'll stay under a cloaking spell so no one freaks out, agreed?"

Fenrir barked. He didn't mind the cloaking spells.

They made good time after Crow picked out some magic books and received a good amount of food from the seed he had fixed. Most of the food he kept went into his bags. The rest went under a preservation charm so they wouldn't wilt before they made it to the next town.

For a few hours things were fine. At least until Crow got bored enough to search through his bags again.

He grinned in triumph, and pulled out...an Ipod?

"I knew I packed a spare!"

Raphtalia was under a sleep spell. He had placed an enchantment that let her sleep through the ride so she wouldn't get sick. She would still see everything as if she were awake, but it would be more like she had dreamed the entire thing.

It was actually considered a dark spell considering the original use for the spell, but it was an excellent way for someone with motion sickness to deal with it.

Crow put his spare Ipod to the shield, and to his relief it absorbed it and became a rather odd looking shield.

 _Requirements for Symphony Shield. 75 percent increase power to audio-based attacks. 75 increase to defense to audio-based attacks. Passive ability: Music Player._

"I do believe I've found my new favorite shield."

Crow went through his music list (he had a massive library of practically every song ever made) before he found one he liked. He hit the 'play' button on the shield and music started playing from invisible speakers.

AC/DC's _Back in Black_ began playing, loud enough that it could have come from a car with a massive stereo system set on low. And from the massive grin he had on his face, he definitely found his new favorite shield.

"What is that awful racket?!" said Talia when she woke up a few hours later.

"What racket? They don't seem to mind," said Crow.

Talia noticed the odd shield.

"You. You're the reason I've been hearing weird songs," she said with narrowed eyes.

"What do you have against _Linkin Park_ and _AC/DC_?" he asked.

"I don't know who those are, and frankly I don't care."

"Okay, let me try another tactic..." he said, switching the song list around.

It took two tries before he figured out Talia preferred pop music...though now he was glad she had motion sickness. It meant he could play his music in peace!

* * *

"I expected this sort of thing from the spear idiot. But Sword boy?"

The entire village was covered in a deadly miasma. It was making people sick.

Ren, the Hero of the Sword, had come through here and killed a dragon. However, despite having pretty much dismembered the corpse, he still left more than enough meat for it to rot. And since it was a dragon he killed, the magic naturally went bad causing a deadly sickness. Until the corpse was dealt with, anyone who came to this area was either doomed to die or would have to leave. Two had already died.

Crow sighed. He had wanted to avoid using these, but he couldn't in good conscience leave this mess alone. Though next time he saw the Sword hero he was going to give him a long lecture on cleaning up after his fights. Though to be fair, Crow had at least had two monsters (one that could clean up pretty much any monster he killed) to eat the meat he didn't keep. At the very least he should have brought the dragon's corpse down in pieces to sell the meat, or set the thing on fire.

"Is there anything you can do?" begged the lone captain of the soldiers.

"I can save the town and deal with the dragon. I guess my old habit of saving people after the mess of others has never fully gone away. First thing's first, I'm going to try and get rid of the miasma and heal everyone once I set up a barrier."

Crow held out his hand for Fawkes.

"I'm going to need you to stick around here this time to keep the barrier going. And if anything happens you can warn them to leave the village to die."

Fawkes crooned, but he understood. He would do more good keeping the spirit up and the barrier going.

"When I find the dragon and I have to dispose of the remains, I'll call you to set the thing on fire. Seems only fitting that a phoenix give a noble beast a proper send off."

Fawkes chirped in agreement.

Crow reluctantly withdrew three items. A silvery cloak, a crack stone, and a long bone-white wand. One by one he put them on his shield, and it absorbed them. Once all three were incorporated into the shield, he got the pop up alert.

 _Hallow Shield. 100 percent increase attack power to all spells. 100 percent defense from creatures with 'undead' status. Spell casting time decreased by fifty percent. Seventy-five percent increase to all seances while active. Perfect invisibility to all party members as long as shield is active. Thirty minute invincibility limit when overclock is used._

"As I suspected... this shield is way over powered. At least once I'm gone they'll be taken with me," said Crow to himself. He hated the Hallows (except the cloak) and the only time he ever used them was in extreme circumstances.

"Talia, Firo, Fenrir...let's go."

Crow cast a bubblehead charm on all of them to avoid breathing in the miasma. The last thing he needed was for any of them to get sick.

"Fenrir, Firo, when we find the dragon don't eat anything. That thing has been rotting for weeks and the last thing I want to deal with is either of you getting sick or dying because of bad food. If you're really hungry after this I'll cook you up something myself," said Crow.

Firo and Fenrir chirped and barked respectively.

"And as for you Talia...don't touch the dragon's skin. The magic that went corrupt will place a nasty curse on you if you touch it, and I don't know how to make healing water."

"Got it."

"Let's clean this mountain up."

* * *

They went deep...deep into the mountainside, clearing out various monsters on the way. Crow let Firo and Fenrir eat those, since he didn't sense anything bad about them. Yes, they were poisonous, but he was reasonably sure Fawkes could cure any poison they ingested if their own immune system didn't.

The more he ate, the bigger Fenrir got. He was definitely going to be too big to fit in the wagon anymore.

"Okay, not I'm not sure if it was the location or just the type of dog he is, but he is massive! He's bigger than Fluffy ever was!" said Crow impressed.

"...Fluffy?"

"You have your Cerberus, I have mine. In my case when I was eleven and just starting out learning magic, I came across a large three headed dog that the groundskeeper named Fluffy. The ironic thing was that the dog in question was a male, and didn't really strike me as Fluffy. Damn thing tried to bite my head off because we stumbled into the room it was in, though it went to sleep pretty quick when someone played music."

Talia stopped, turn and stared at him.

"Someone actually named a Cerberus 'Fluffy'?"

"To be fair, the groundskeeper was half giant and had a baby dragon for a while that he named Norbert. Sweetest guy you could ever meet, but he didn't always think things through because he generally assumed everyone was as durable as he was."

"Fluffy?" repeated Talia. The name 'Fluffy' simply ran itself through her head in disbelief. Who could possibly think _Fluffy_ was a good name for a massive three headed dog?!

"If it makes you feel any better you can always imagine the Cerberus that killed your parents being named 'Fluffy'."

Raphtalia had to shake the idea out of her head. Still, the fact that Crow had once met a Cerberus named _Fluffy_ would bug her for days.

"So where is this dragon corpse anyway?"

They went through the cave, and they saw it.

"Now whatever you do, don't say anything that mentions the undead. Doing that around me increases the probability of the damn thing turning into one. Murphy's law has it out for me and I hate giving it a reason to notice me," said Crow before Talia could say a word. And then he added "I'll explain it _after_ we're done disposing of the corpse."

Crow then went closer to the beast.

"Now if I remember that book right, the dragon's core should be somewhere around..." Crow suddenly paused before he changed his shield and shoved his hand deep, deep into the chest of the dragon corpse. Thanks to the shield and the protection of the Hallow Shield he was able to reach into the dragon without being effected by the magic it still contained. He just hoped like hell that the shield didn't absorb anything.

Finally he touched something hard, and yanked as hard as he could. His entire arm had been buried deep in the thing, so it came out with a 'squelch' sound. If he wasn't used to worse, he would have felt sick at the sensation of the foul magic.

"Talia, check the book so I know we have the core. The sooner we set this thing on fire, the happier everyone will be."

"Got it. That looks like the core, but what happens if it's not the core?"

"Then we might have to fight the damn thing until we _do_ find the core."

Crow concentrated, calling Fawkes to him. The phoenix appeared and he promptly created a barrier from the heat as the bird set the corpse ablaze.

Once the air began to clear of the deadly miasma, Crow began searching around for anything missed. If this was the dragon's lair then the most obvious treasures would have been taken, but he had learned that there was always something people missed.

That was when he stepped on it. An innocuous earring that radiated magic. Either someone had dropped it or had ignored it since there wasn't a second one just like it. It was gold, and had a blood ruby that practically screamed it was magical in origin.

It wasn't tacky, but it didn't look impressive to the casual observer. He picked it up and pocketed the thing to find out what it did later. Another sweep, this time inspecting all the nooks and crannies (including flying up to the crevice just above) netted him several other trinkets the first hero missed because he wasn't as thorough.

When they came down, it was to find a grateful village.

Crow was just glad he remembered to replace the spell on Fenrir.

* * *

"So you're tracking the Cerberus down as well?" said Crow.

"The accursed thing killed my friends."

"It killed her parents and destroyed her village. But I see no reason why you can't join us long enough to kill the damn thing," said Crow.

"Not sure how much help I can be with someone as powerful as one of the Legendary Heroes."

"Just because you can't see your use now doesn't mean a little extra help wouldn't be welcomed. If nothing else you can help get any civilians out or fortify an area while we're attacking it," said Crow.

The man looked at him with respect. This was someone who knew the reality of battle.

"What's your name son?"

"I go by Crow. It's less painful if I don't let people get too close, because I've been betrayed far too often in my life."

"Antillus Crassus. I'm an old friend of Captain Cyril of the Queen's Knights," he said, holding out his hand.

"I'm liking you more already," said Crow grinning. The two shook, sensing that the other party was an old warrior. "Just out of curiosity do you have anything against large dogs?"

"Just Cerberus."

"Oh good. I really would hate it if you accidentally killed Fenrir just because of a misunderstanding," said Crow. Inwardly he was grinning. Seeing people's reaction to his dog was always hilarious.


	6. Chapter 6

"HOLY SHIT!"

Raphtalia grinned. Finally, someone who understood what she was going through.

Crassus took one look at Fenrir and reached for his sword. Naturally he was beyond surprised when Crow not only walked up to the massive hound, but got him to perform simple tricks like rolling over and sit on command.

"What...how... Where did you get a three-headed crystal wolf?!" he asked in disbelief.

"From a mine we cleared about a week back. Thankfully Fenrir knows he's not allowed about town unless he's under a cloaking spell. I don't want to start a panic and the king's a big enough headache without him finding out about my dog."

"I'm amazed you were able to train him. Is this the power of a legendary weapon?"

"No, this is five years of learning how to train dogs for the local law enforcement. And another two teaching obedience training. So long as the hound knows you're the alpha in the relationship, they'll listen to you," said Crow, scratching Fenrir's ear.

He loved animals, and it seemed like a natural choice to learn how to train his dogs. He never expected to get roped into being a cop for three years though.

Fenrir's back leg went nuts.

"...Is he safe to approach?"

"So long as I'm here, yes. Fenrir is acutely aware that heroes often kill his kind for crafting materials, which means he's not very friendly to people he doesn't know. He gets along great with Firo and Fawkes though."

The man slowly walked up to the massive hound, who allowed the soldier to pet him once he had his scent.

"I never thought I'd be able to pet a Crystal Wolf without it trying to maul me for it."

"Well we weren't expecting to find a puppy who's mother we just killed in a mine we were clearing."

"So which way are we headed?" asked Crow.

"To the border town of the demi humans. Silt Welt."

"...Good thing I told them not to mark Raphtalia. How far is it?"

"A week's journey. Less, if we don't bother to sleep."

"Or we could do the smart thing and fly there."

Crassus stared at him.

"Flying is pretty hard even for arch mages like yourself. The amount of power to go that distance..."

"I take it you weren't present when I beat the shit out of the Spear-toting moron?" interrupted Crow.

"I was busy looking for Cerberus."

"Flying's not going to be an issue. The biggest problem we'd have is getting Fenrir into the cart. He prefers to run, but I can't carry him _and_ the cart. Not to mention the hassle of carrying Firo as well. I'm not sure both could fit in the small thing together, even with charms," said Crow.

"Ah! I completely forgot about that!" said Talia, obviously remembering Crow's dragon form.

"One of them would have to catch up to us later...that is unless they can change shape, which is rather..." started Crow, before his eyes saw something that made his brain do a ten-second standstill in disbelief.

"What?"

"Firo?"

Behind Crassus was a girl who's hair had the _exact_ same color pattern as Firo's feathers. She looked roughly sixteen, if that, and she was completely starkers.

"Firo fit in cart now?" she asked with a bright smile on her face.

"Dammit...why does Murphy have it in for me..." muttered Crow, as he quickly moved to cover Firo's naked human form. Good thing most of the armor was still there. A few automatic sizing charms and Firo had a rough, if rather revealing, set of armor. He would have to pick up some cloth so it wasn't so provocative.

He looked at Fenrir and Fawkes suspiciously.

"You two can't shapeshift into humans as well...right?"

Fawkes trilled in amusement, but Fenrir chuffed and to Crow's disbelief turned into a surly looking teenager. He looked like a crankier version of a teenaged Sirius Black, with his eyes being the same color as the crystals embedded in his canine form. Crow face-palmed.

"I hate Murphy. I really do."

"Who or what is Murphy?" asked Raphtalia.

"Murphy's Law. Also known as 'why the hell did you tempt fate?!' among those who deal with it regularly. Basically if certain phrases or words are used, the odds of an unlikely situation coming to pass skyrocket. Anything that can happen _will_ happen."

"Like?" asked Crassus.

"Remember the dragon? I told Talia not to say a word about it waking up and turning into an undead zombie, because if she mentioned the odds of it waking up while we were disposing of the corpse I knew for a fact it _would_ come alive and make things harder. Things like 'What are the odds of it becoming a zombie?', or 'What's the worst that can happen?'. I find it's easier to silence my partners before they have a chance to say stupid things like that, because bad things _always_ happen immediately after."

"...I never knew that someone had actually come up with a name for situations like that," admitted Crassus. It was considered common sense among the older adventurers not to tempt fate by saying stupid things like that.

"There is where I come from. I'd rather risk offending my traveling companions by putting a spell on them to keep their traps shut than to deal with that," said Crow. Then he gave Fenrir a look.

"Can you grow crystals like your mother did?"

Fenrir nodded.

"Good. Then you can use them in place of clothes, since it was a pain in the ass getting you to accept that collar," said Crow flatly. Crystal armor was rare, but not unheard of. He was just lucky Fenrir let him put that collar that changed shape on him.

Fenrir concentrated, and covered up most of his body leaving his feet and tail exposed. He basically looked like he was wearing a pair of jeans and tee shirt that went just above his elbows made entirely out of crystal.

At least the problem of transporting them all had been solved... though Crow was still going to stop a few miles away so they could help Fenrir and Firo get used to walking around like humans.

Crassus and Raphtalia held on for dear life as Crow's massive wings took them to the very borders of Silt Welt. He didn't want to cause a stir because of his dragon form, and since they were so busy focusing on the fact they were being carried by dragon they completely missed the fact that he had quite literally flown past Cerberus. Thanks to his enhanced eye-sight, he had gotten a good look at the beast.

It looked nothing like Fluffy. Fluffy at least looked like he had been born with three heads naturally. This one looked like someone had inexpertly grafted two other heads and then painted it's fur yellow. He was glad he wasn't too close to the thing...he was sure it _reeked_ with the stains he saw on it's fur!

* * *

"Never again!" shouted Crassus. He had clutched the side of the wagon like it was the only thing he could do. Fenrir and Firo had been perfectly fine with it, seeing as how Fenrir spent most of the time experimenting with his crystals and Firo kept changing her hair style using the ribbons Crow had given her.

Crow snickered.

"Why is it that people of this world are so freaked about heights?" he asked, grinning. Oh this was too funny.

"Because normal people can't fly!" they shouted.

Crow cackled. He was so going abuse this information.

"How far away do you think the beast is?"

"Considering I flew past the damn thing, I would say about a two days or so from the town," said Crow.

Talia and Crassus twitched.

"You flew over Cerberus and didn't think to stop?" said Talia.

"Well to be fair I didn't think either of you would be in the condition to fight immediately after flying," he shrugged.

"...Point."

"On the plus side we'll have plenty of time to rest, upgrade our weapons and armor, and evacuate the civilians."

"This is no time to upgrade our armor and weapons!"

"I hate to break it to you, but an hour before the last wave hit Talia and I not only upgraded our armor, but we also got armor for Fawkes and Firo and then spent the last few minutes eating something. I find it's easier to prepare if you're not obsessing over the fight itself. Or haven't you ever heard the phrase 'no plan survives first contact with the enemy' before?"

Crassus stared at him, before sighing.

"I have. It's just hard to take you serious because you look young enough to be my son."

"Uh-huh. How old do you think I actually am?"

"Nineteen, perhaps?"

 _Crassus has joined your party._

"Take a good long look at my status page," said Crow. This would be interesting.

Crassus did...and his brain immediately went blue screen of death.

"Thir...THIRTY-TWO?!"

"I only look like I'm in my late teens for the same reason my class is both Legendary Hero and 'Grandmaster' Arch Mage. Essentially I'm pretty much immortal, but I hate reminding people of the fact because they expect me to actually give a damn about their problems. Back home I was little more than the person they dragged in to get rid of mages who used their powers to hurt other," said Crow flatly.

It was also why he was more or less apathetic about the whole hero schtick.

"So how are you going to handle Silt Welt? They're pretty pissed about the whole slave trade issue and they hate humans. If we went in there we're liable to be overcharged through the nose."

"That's actually the easy part. I can fake us being demi-humans depending on your preference, but the bigger issue is convincing them the thing is coming."

"...How can you fake being a demi-human?"

"Same way I got around the hatred of them in Melomarc. I make everyone believe we use illusion spells to hide our animal parts, when in reality I'm putting one on you," said Crow. He concentrated a bit and did a partial transformation, which was always trickier than a full one.

A good thing Raphtalia had her dagger handy, because she was able to cut slits in the shirt to allow the massive black feather wings to spring free.

"What the hell?!"

"I may have forgotten to mention this, but in my world animal transformation is pretty common. The only issue is that people often get stuck and most of the mages there are too lazy to learn it. There's a reason I tell people to call me crow."

He took a few steps forward, before he completely shifted into a crow. He wanted to fly around, so he landed on Talia and pointed at the wagon, then at Firo who was back in bird form. She took the hint.

"We're supposed to go on ahead until he switches back," she translated.

As they rode in the wagon (with Raphtalia barely holding back her motion sickness) Crassus decided to speak up.

"He's nothing like I thought he would be. The Shield Hero, I mean. I kept hearing rumors of how he attacked the older Princess their first night as a party, but then whenever I spoke about it to the shopkeepers they always told me that the rumor was made up by the king and that the Shield had dumped her for a demi-human slave. And that out of the four heroes he was the only one who tipped especially well, even if the information was inaccurate."

Raphtalia was silent, until...

"He hates crowds, he really hates the Spear Hero for some reason, and he goes out of his way to antagonize those that annoy him. He refuses to learn people's names and he still hasn't given me his real one, but he's kind. Too kind, I think."

"How so?"

"He's terrified of being alone, yet he keeps everyone at a distance and won't learn their names unless he thinks they're worthy of it. I think he's afraid that they'll betray him or that he'll be too close when they die and he won't be able to help save them. Yet when he does become close to someone, he never lets them go and gives them unflinching loyalty without hesitation."

Crassus was silent.

Crow was distant, but now that he thought about it, the entire thing seemed forced. And there was the way he handled the thought of battle.

Crow felt more like Cyril on the eve of a big fight that was sure to lose men than he did a naïve hero with barely any idea of what he was getting himself into. Almost like he had gone through the entire process of being a hero before and it backfired horribly in the end.

"Oh man, I needed that. Now what's your favorite animal?" asked Crow, stretching.

"I would have to say a dog...even if Cerberus did kill a good friend of mine."

"Any particular breed of dog?"

"One with floppy ears and a short curved tail."

"Hold still while I apply this. There. How's it look?"

Crassus couldn't believe it. He could feel the things on his head and see the tail, and it looked completely natural! Good thing no one would ever know about this.

There was a flash of light, and Crassus saw something odd in Crow's hands.

"What's that?"

"Camera. You know those paintings artists make to capture moments? Well I can make a smaller one using this that can be shared with anyone interested. Including Cyril," said Crow with an evil grin on his face. Hello blackmail.

"Why does that smile scare me?" asked Crassus to no one in particular.

"It should. It means he's about to be or is being particularly mischievous," said Raphtalia. He had a similar look in his eye right before he beat the Spear hero so thoroughly.

Crassus had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Once they reached town and upgraded their armor and weapons (mostly armor in the case of Crow), their leader immediately took a long nap, leaving everyone to their own devices. Everyone except Fenrir, who opted to stay with Crow.

Even after all this time, he mostly only followed the man because he asserted himself as Alpha of their oddball pack.

Sighing, he laid against Crow and dozed off.

What happened next would have surprised even the most jaded person.

He found himself in Crow's memories.

Fenrir watched as Crow grew up, fought and established himself as the dominate pack leader...only for his pack to turn against him because of his power and tear itself apart. He watched as jackals repeatedly forced him to fight for them, despite not deserving someone as strong as his Alpha protecting them.

Yet Crow did it all without complaint, never seeking more than his fair share as the pack leader. He watched as females tried to get into the pack and establish them as Crow's mate, but he rejected them soundly when he found their reasons were weak and greed filled.

Fenrir realized his master was a lone wolf, one that sought a true pack and not one that would abandon him after a long hunt, taking most of the prey with them.

That's when the scene shifted. He saw Crow being summoned, rejecting the King and his 'plan' to turn the people against the Shield Hero (and hadn't that backfired spectacularly). He saw him picking Raphtalia as a pack member, bringing her up so her loyalty would be unquestioned. Then came a scene he would very much have preferred never to see.

The fight between his mother and his alpha.

Crow at least didn't prolong her suffering. He ended her life relatively quickly for such a difficult fight. And he saw as his Alpha argued with his pack about keeping him alive.

Crow didn't want a pet. He wanted a pack member he could trust to watch his back when Raphtalia and Firo were in trouble. He never expected Fenrir to fully trust him and he never forced his loyalty.

But after seeing how Crow got up and got back to work, despite the fact his pack kept throwing him away again and again... it made Fenrir realize that his Alpha was truly worthy of his respect and loyalty.

So long as Crow trusted him, he would follow his pack leader.

 _I think that's enough viewing for now. I have no idea how you managed to slip into my reminiscing of the past, but I prefer to keep most of it from the others._

It was Crow. He looked the same as he always did. Tired, but still determined to go on. He put his hand on one of Fenrir's heads.

 _Good boy._

Fenrir wagged his tail. The two of them woke up to find the others had already returned from their minor shopping spree. At least Firo was wearing clothes now, and they had gotten some for Fenrir as well.

It was good to be with the pack.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to the minor deception that everyone in their part was a demi-human, Crow was able to sell off most of the crap he didn't need from the monsters he regularly killed for a good price...and that was before he upgraded their armor at a discount.

He asked about upgrading Firo, Talia and Fenrir, but apparently you needed special permission and he wasn't dealing with the idiots back in Melomarc who believed the King.

At least he had managed to gain a 'neutral' attitude from the shopkeepers.

They didn't like him, but they didn't hate him for a baseless lie either. It was more of a 'wait and see' approach, one that generally leaned towards the more positive spectrum because of him tipping well.

Crassus still couldn't believe that Crow was thirty-two, and still looked like he was barely 19. Or that he was currently passing as a canine demi-human...and succeeding. It was surreal.

Naturally the guard was very skeptical about the idea that Cerberus was coming.

Even if Crow confirmed it when he took his natural animal form and flew over the damn thing...twice. It had not veered from it's path, and it was most certainly taking the direct route to Silt Welt.

Besides, it was amusing for people to give him and Firo looks because of their wings.

Crow could care less about whether or not they actually _did_ listen to him. In the end of the day he just had to give them time to evacuate...or give his team time to do it.

* * *

It was noon the day after they reached the city that the beast arrived. However, whatever plan he might have considered went right out the window the second he felt the canine up close.

That beast was holding a vast number of souls, likely the ones it had consumed while killing. And considering the same status that made him hate the title of 'hero' in the first place, there was no way he could reasonably allow such a monstrosity to survive.

"Fenrir, you buy me time to prepare. Firo, you and Talia will make hit and run tactics while Fenrir deals damage. Crassus, I want you to help in any evacuation efforts while Fawkes keeps everything orderly," said Crow, with a tone that left no room for argument.

With that, the group dispersed.

Fenrir bore the two women to the beast, shifting into his true form as a three headed dog much bigger and more powerful physically than the Cerberus it was facing. Once on the ground Talia and Firo commenced their own attacks.

Meanwhile Crow did something he hated. He activated the Hallow Shield.

" _I am the destroyer of worlds. I am one who walks between this realm and the next. Let all who stand before me fall, and all those who seek to disturb the natural order be destroyed. I command that which is beyond the realm of Life, and bring solace to those that are Dead. The Way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead shall keep it. The Way is Shut,"_ intoned Crow in a dark voice.

All around him the sky darkened as if in pitch black night. The wind began to howl as if to resound the horn of the end. His clothes, which were originally rather bright colored because he hated darker ones (thank you Snape for inspiring a hatred of all things black and Dumbledore for anything that clashed), flowed outward until it became something out of a Goth store. His black wings, which had merely matched his hair before, now made him look like a fallen angel come to the living.

In short he had become an almost perfect representation of the _"Crow"_ franchise, which had always amused him after finding out about it from a former bed partner.

Any sane person shivered, for this was no longer a hero. This was "Death" given human form among the living.

And he was not happy.

 _Hallow Shield activated. Invincibility time limit 30 minutes and counting. Defense against Undead attacks for all party members increased by 100 percent. Increased attack against Undead for all party members increased by 100 percent._

Crow used his superior speed, and took flight within seconds. The Cerberus of the Wave shivered. The souls it had consumed screamed louder and louder, resonating with the Hallows inside the Shield Hero's soul.

He slammed into the beast from above, dealing a great amount of damage. Far more than his dragon form would have because the Cerberus was automatically protected by the souls inside it.

The crystals on Fenrir glowed. Where the Cerberus shot out fire and acid, he shot out crystals from all three mouths aiming directly at his prey. Because the Hallow Shield covered everyone in his party, Fenrir's attacks became holy based, gouging chunks of flesh from the other dog.

The howl of pain gave Fenrir all the opening he needed to slam his mouth over each of the Cerberus'.

With that attack nullified, Talia was able to drive her sword into the heads of the monster that killed her parents, while Firo's kicks dealt devastating damage to the legs, causing them to buckle, before being healed over by the souls inside.

Crow's presence made it impossible for the Cerberus to hold onto the souls it had devoured. For every one it tried to use, another one slipped it's grasp.

In what seemed like hours, but in reality was more like twenty-five minutes, thirteen seconds, the Cerberus laid dead on the ground.

Crow turned off his Hallow Shield with great relief.

He hated using that much power, and he hated even more having to relearn the fact he _was not Death_. Every time he used all three Hallows, gained that much power, he could see everything about a person for a full week. And by everything he meant _everything._

Their entire soul, and therefor a chronological timeline of their life, was laid bare for him to see at a glance. He liked to think of it as encouragement _not_ to use the damn things in a fight, even if he only did it whenever he saw the balance of Life and Death being threatened.

Probably the only reason Death hadn't complained about his current _master_. Crow was more of an unhappy agent towards the balance. He didn't make demands on Death, and Death didn't bother him unless there was no other option.

The second Crow saw the number of people, staring at him and at the beast behind him, he almost collapsed.

So many souls, so much information...it was overloading his mind.

Fenrir immediately shifted into his 'human' form, and let Crow lean on him. Crow focused on his soul and _only_ his. The short, brief time Fenrir had with his mother, and the even shorter time with Crow's party. He could feel the trepidation, the fear when he was first taken from that cave...and how it slowly developed into a sense of Pack. How Fenrir came to realize Crow didn't want to force him into being a pet or a source of spare parts...he wanted a Beta he could trust that wouldn't try to turn on him later. A fact that solidified when he saw Crow's memories.

So long as Crow acted as his Alpha and didn't betray him, Fenrir would stay by his side.

And right now he was acting as Crow's shield from the souls. Firo came up beside him, and her presence doubled that protection. Her limited life had been entirely around Crow.

He vaguely noticed Talia talking to what remained of her parents. They seemed to look at him, before turning back to their daughter. He didn't know what was said, and he didn't care. All he wanted to do was sleep for a week.

Finally the noise overwhelmed his ears, and the only thing he could think was "I'm too tired and too damn old to deal with this shit."

He promptly passed out onto Firo's feathery bulk. They could chalk it up to magical exhaustion or whatever, all he wanted was sleep. And later food.

* * *

Crow woke up a full day later, and the first thing he saw was Fawkes standing guard above him. His posture clearly said he wasn't protecting people _from_ Crow, but more like he was protecting Crow from anyone stupid enough to wake him.

Close by was Crassus, Fenrir and Firo. Talia walked in, and the second she saw he was awake she nearly dropped the tray of food.

The others immediately turned to him, thankfully none of them said anything until he was able to handle it.

Finally Crassus spoke first.

"What in magic's name _was_ that?"

Crow sighed.

"I'm going to guess you're referring to the pale skinned, oppressive darkness I brought about when I killed that damn thing."

Crassus nodded.

"Long story short, the king has _absolutely_ no idea what he accidentally summoned when he called the heroes in, and there's a reason why I'm stuck looking like a nineteen year old. When I realized what the Cerberus was containing, it pissed me off more than you could believe and gave me all the excuse I needed to test out the one Shield I absolutely loathe using above all others. What happened to the corpse, by the way?"

"Burned, buried and gone. Since it was clear you didn't want any part of the body they destroyed it so it wouldn't cause any problems."

Crow snorted. Like he needed another overpowered shield.

"So what exactly was that whole show about?"

Crow sighed, before settling on the easiest explaination.

"A long time ago, there were three brothers who came across a mighty river on the route to visit their dying father. They had survived several trials, most of which should have killed them. It was at that river that Death itself appeared, annoyed that he had failed to claim them indirectly. He told the brothers he would grant them one boon each for foiling his plans. The eldest, a prideful fool, asked for a wand of which there would be no rival. A tool he could use to defeat any foe he came across. The middle brother, who had suffered a great loss, asked for a way to contact his lost fiancee, who had died shortly before. A way to speak to the souls of the dead. The third, and youngest son, merely asked for an item that would cloak his presence, even from Death itself."

Crow paused for a bit of breath.

"Death gave the first son a wand made of elder wood, created in a way that made the item seem like it had come from a bone. In the hands of it's master it would increase their magical power many fold, and they would never suffer defeat in a magical battle. He then gave the second son a stone from the river, which when turned three times would raise the souls of any who had parted this life, though they would be a mere shade. The third son he gave a piece of his own cloak, which would hide him from Death until he took it off."

Seeing he had their attention, Crow continued once he drank some water.

"The brothers saw their father to the next life, before heading to town. The first brother, being the prideful fool that he was, defeated his rival in a magical duel...but a greedy mage came up from behind and killed him, thus becoming the new master of the wand he had so proudly displayed. And thus the first brother was claimed by Death. The second went home, and summoned his fiancee's spirit, but upon realizing that she was nothing more than a shade, and in great pain from being forced from the after life, killed himself in despair. And so the second son was claimed."

"And the third?" asked Crassus.

Crow gave a tired smile.

"The third son lived to a ripe old age, having several children, before he handed the cloak down to his son and heir, and greeted Death like an old friend. In the end he was perhaps the wisest of the three."

"What happened to the items?"

"They faded into legend and myth, until a fool of a mage got it into his head that only those from purely magical lineage should be _allowed_ to learn magic, and thus started a blood war. In the process he discovered the stone and stole the wand from the dead hands of a former mentor of mine. The cloak I had already possessed, because I'm a descendant of the third brother who did not fear death, but rather embraced it like a wise person should. I defeated the mage and became master of the three items, which had become known as the Deathly Hallows. Mages back home foolishly called me the 'Master' of Death, but I knew in my soul that was a misconception the moment I accepted the fact I would never be truly rid of them."

Crow took a deep breath.

"I am, in essence, the closest thing to Death you'll meet while alive. Or at least his replacement. I'd think he had a hand in me landing here, if he had any sense of humor. Though come to think of it, he did sound pretty annoyed when I turned his clothes a girlish pink the last time he made me clean up yet another one of his messes," said Crow.

Crassus was glad he was sitting down.

"At least that damn Cerberus is dead. No offense, Fenrir."

"None taken. He was weak, a pathetic beta who was cast from the pack. You could smell it on him," said Fenrir.

Cerberus was a weak canine, one that was mad, disease ridden. Putting him down was a credit to his kind and to all monsters.

"And how did they react to Fenrir's true form?" asked Crow with a smirk.

There was panic for all of about five minutes until someone finally realized he was _guarding_ you like a puppy and Firo was giving anyone who looked at you funny the evil eye," said Crassus smirking. And if Fawkes hadn't deliberately stayed with Crow, then the demi-humans might have believed him some sort of evil spirit.

* * *

Once he was reasonably clothed (and by that Crow meant something that didn't reek of Cerberus blood and things best not mentioned) he left the room...and found out he was in the middle of a guard's garrison barracks.

And to top off his already crappy day, seeing as how he had started it with a headache, the woman in charge wanted to speak to him. Somehow he had a feeling this wouldn't be one of his better days.

"So let me get this straight. The king, who hates the Shield Hero because of what he represents to us demi-humans, has no idea that he literally summoned Death in human form when he cast the spell. And because of that power you have obtained a title lost for well over a thousand years, and his oldest daughter has made false claims against you," said Sherufanir, who looked like a fox.

"That's right. Unfortunately for him, I don't take the title of 'hero' well, and as such only intervene when it looks like the others are about to royally screw things up. Children do need a chance to grow, after all," said Crow pleasantly, sipping his tea and allowing his wings to stay out.

Sherafanir gave him a fanged grin.

"You said you have a way of recording expressions, correct?"

"Yes. Would you like blackmail pictures of their face when they see _exactly_ what I can do and the amount of damage I could cause once I put my mind to it?"

"Yes please," she said evilly. It was so nice dealing with someone who knew how the _real_ world worked, and was determined to screw up the well laid plans of that damn king that allowed humans to turn them into slaves.

Crow gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Oh, and if you happen to see the Spear Hero, who claims his name is Moyotama, feel free to throw him out. He's accompanied by that air-headed princess who thinks people can't see her for what she really is."

"He claims his name is Moyotama?" said Sherafanir, raising an eyebrow.

"So he says, but I find it's more fun to see the look on his face when I call him Mr. Impotency-Issues. After all, he _does_ use a spear," said Crow with a straight face.

The fox-woman let out a laugh. Truly this Shield Hero had a sense of humor!

"In that case I shall have to remember that name... What name do you call the Princess?"

"To her face or in my head?" he asked, sipping his tea.

"Both."

"I act as though she's a well figured boy and call Moyotama her 'girlfriend' because the idiot has long hair while she's the 'man' in the relationship. However I call her the Red Haired Harlot in my head."

The kitsune let out a whoop of laughter, pounding her sides in amusement. She would _definitely_ have to share that one with her friends later.

"In any case you have our gratitude...and may I recommend you visit the Church of the Shield later? There is someone who wishes to meet with you."

* * *

Crow went in along with Talia, Firo and Fenrir. Crassus preferred to nurse a rather large bottle of strong liquor with the revelations Crow had just dumped on him.

Crow had to guard without any real warning as an arrow nearly hit him. Only his Seeker's instincts had alerted him to the attack. It felt tingling, but not overly unpleasant.

"May I inquire as to what that was about?"

"Merely to confirm you were indeed the legendary Shield Hero, of course," said the priestess.

Crow's eyes showed her entire life as if it were laid out in a book. She was not human, but she wasn't a demi-human either. In the end he could care less about that so long as she didn't try to kill or attack him again.

"Someone said you wished to speak with me."

"Do you know who this temple is dedicated to?"

"From the statue I would have to say the Shield Hero. At least one kingdom likes him," said Crow, though the last part was muttered.

"Indeed. The beastmen view the Shield Hero as their patron, primarily because the last one chose to trust them over the people of Melomarc. As a result, the Shield is not in favor with the current king."

Crow sighed.

"I think I can see where this is going. Are you trying to allude that you believe I'm some sort of saint, or are you trying to buy time before telling me you're about to join my party?"

"A little bit of column A, but more of column B," admitted the priestess.

Crow looked tired. There was another reason he hated using the Hallows, and it was because it took _days_ for his damn core to stabilize.

"Shall we expedite the entire thing and just get to the end? What exactly can you bring to the party?"

The woman smiled, almost amused by his impatience.

"I am a very skilled archer, I know holy magic, and I am under oath to never betray the Shield Hero and to follow his every order," she said flatly.

Crow winced. That sounded like a slave without the marking or the actual admittance towards the idea.

Then the woman smirked, as she pushed up her bust.

"Not to mention the other...assets...I bring to the table."

Had Raphtalia not been so furious at how brazen the woman was, she would have laughed as Crow gave her the once over, before openly dismissing her offer.

"I've seen better."

The look on her face was priceless, along with the stark shock on her expression. Raphtalia shot a look at Crow, and had to hide her mirth. He had done that deliberately to get a better feel for her!

What a devious, conniving, and evil bastard he was... no wonder she loved him so much, if he could casually dismiss an open offer like that with someone who would follow his every demand.

"In any case it would be rude and outright foolish to deny your request to join...besides, once that idiot with impotency issues sees you on my team he's sure to flip out and the tomboy princess is guaranteed to be furious because you're more stacked than she is," said Crow with an evil smirk.

Above all he thrived on pissing those two off. He got most of his entertainment from getting the Spear Hero to lose his cool, just because he didn't realize Crow was mocking him.

If he had been back home, someone would have correctly identified that behavior as 'trolling'.


End file.
